Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: The Ultimate Review Roundup (feat. MKBHD, Mrwhosetheboss, 8+ YouTubers)

Transcript

0:00 Speaker A: Brand new Galaxy S25 series nothing dramatically new about the S25. Speaker B: This thing is next generation. Speaker C: These are the thinnest S series devices. Speaker D: That we've had actually left excited for the most part. Speaker E: Welcome back to re review where we watch all the reviews so you don't have to Today we're diving deep into The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, the latest flagship from the tech giant. Speaker E: And let's jump into the initial reactions. Speaker A: But with this phone I can honestly say there is nothing, nothing dramatically new about the S25s.

0:33 Speaker A: So welcome to your first look at the Samsung Galaxy S25 series, S25, S25 and S25 Ultra. Speaker B: And honestly, the moment you pick it up you can tell that this thing is a slicker, neater, better designed phone than last year's. Speaker B: But it's only after spending a few hours getting deeper that I've started to realize this thing is next generation in a way that which we've not really ever seen before. Speaker F: It has been updated slightly, it's a bit rounder. Speaker F: So if we actually look at the S24 Ultra, that was a bit more, I would say like squared off.

1:02 Speaker F: I liked it because it was slightly boxier. Speaker G: If I'm honest, I've actually come away from this hands on a little bit disappointed. Speaker G: For example, the displays and the Cameras on the S25 and the plus are. Speaker H: The same first impressions immediately out of the packaging. Speaker H: Even though this is the blue color in some angles, like my top down shot here, it definitely looks gray, but if you put it into different lighting conditions, that blue really comes through. Speaker I: Just kidding. Speaker I: They look exactly the same as they have for previous years.

1:28 Speaker I: But that doesn't mean that Samsung hasn't changed anything, it just hasn't changed the things that you might have wanted it to change. Speaker I: Samsung has refined the designs of the Galaxy S25 series while also bringing over a bunch of new software and AI based features which are all great to see. Speaker I: However, Samsung also has neglected to update a lot of the things that Samsung fans have wanted them to update for a very, very long time.

1:54 Speaker E: Sadly so right off the bat, it's clear that the design is sparking some debate. Speaker E: While some find it refined evolution, others are yearning for bigger changes. Speaker E: Let's dig deeper into design and build that. Speaker D: This is probably my favorite Ultra. Speaker D: Historically, this lineup started as an unapologetic behemoth of power which needed to fit in somewhere, so essentials like weight and ergonomics were secondary. Speaker B: The S25 Ultra is 15 grams lighter than the S24 Ultra.

2:20 Speaker B: It's enough to notice for sure it's 0.4 millimeters thinner which makes this the thinnest ultra phone that Samsung has ever made. Speaker J: The Galaxy S25 and S25 plus will feature a similar color scheme. Speaker J: Dark blue, icy blue, light green and gray. Speaker J: While the specific names of these shades are not confirmed yet, now the S25. Speaker C: Ultra at the back still has Gorilla Glass Victus 2, but on the front we now have Gorilla Armor 2.

2:46 Speaker C: So with the S24 Ultra we saw the introduction of Gorilla Armor which is anti reflective. Speaker H: Overall physically seems to feel and look very similar to the previous S Pens might have a little bit different of a tip at the top there, just a slightly different top there on this S25 Ultra S pen, but overall seem to be very similar. Speaker K: The S25 and S25 plus didn't get any kind of design overhaul. Speaker K: They actually look very similar to last year's model.

3:12 Speaker K: So if you compare it to the S24 here, they're quite difficult to distinguish. Speaker K: The big tell for me is just like the concentric rings around the lens but. Speaker K: But aside from that, these are very, very similar. Speaker E: Design wise it's more evolution than revolution. Speaker E: The reduced weight and refined curves are appreciated, but the lack of major changes to the non ultra models is notable. Speaker I: Every single phone in the family has a Snapdragon 8 Elite processor.

3:38 Speaker I: That means no concerns for any phones having an Exynos processor because they simply. Speaker D: Don't exist at peak speeds of an insane 4.4. Speaker D: This is technically the world's fastest CPU right now. Speaker D: All three models now get 12 gigs of RAM, so that fixes my complaints on the base model. Speaker D: Storage then ranges from 128gigs to 256 on the base, 256 to 512 on the plus 256 to 1tb on the ultra batteries and their technology remain the same and then charging speeds as well.

4:09 Speaker C: Now all devices have an IP68 water and dust resistance rating. Speaker G: All three phones are a touch lighter this year. Speaker G: The S25 is 6 grams lighter, the plus 6.7 grams and the Ultra a whopping 15 grams lighter, which is just about noticeable. Speaker B: The S25s will ship with Samsung's latest One UI 7 and I freaking love it. Speaker B: It feels like this company has finally understood that we don't want our phones to look corporate. Speaker B: We want them to look bright and fun.

4:35 Speaker B: We want them to be intuitive and most of all we want them to look as naturally clean as possible. Speaker C: Now for the cameras. Speaker C: So for the S25 and the S25 plus the camera hardware remains pretty much. Speaker F: The same, but updated this year is the 50 megapixel ultra wide which also serves as the macro camera. Speaker F: So when I was using it the initial shots the Ultra Wide did look a bit crispier. Speaker F: I think you really have to pixel peep the difference though, but maybe like in low light that would make the biggest difference.

5:00 Speaker E: Performance wise, the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip is a significant upgrade across the board. Speaker E: The software enhancements, especially the One UI 7 and the new AI features are also a big part of the story. Speaker E: And while the camera hardware is mostly the same, the new 50 megapixel ultra wide lens on the Ultra and improvements the image signal processor could make a. Speaker H: Noticeable difference with 1 UI 7. Speaker H: This has been a very clean software so far.

5:25 Speaker H: Really the only differences you have are that you swipe down from the top to get to your notifications, then you swipe down from the top right corner to access your quick settings similar to what we've had on iPhones for a while now. Speaker D: Point is, think of WinUI 7 at least for these phones, as an integrated AI platform form that can be personalized and which they claim as secured by Samsung Knox. Speaker D: If the goal is to reduce the clutter and jumping into applications to get anything listen, I am all for it.

5:51 Speaker D: Some examples were shown in how you can use natural language to search for photo for example and be specific about what was in the photo or where and you get a quick response with a filter with what you need. Speaker D: Writing Assistant is now more integrated so after you select text just press and hold. Speaker D: Look for the stars on the left and it'll create a summary for you along with other options, though it does seem it can't tailor these to anything other than what the phone gives you, at least for now and then other essentials like Generative editor making a comeback in the photo gallery to let you remove the photo bombers better than before and you can even modify photos to remove anything you want by just circling on it.

6:32 Speaker D: Then there was more of a look into the now bar and its capabilities from the lock screen and the then how the now brief consolidates things you should care about in your day on a single widget. Speaker L: Galaxy AI can also sort of do like a string of things all at once now. Speaker L: So for example, if you say tell me when the next warriors game is added to my calendar and send an invite to my friend, Galaxy AI should be able to handle all of those commands all at once.

6:59 Speaker L: So if you've ever Been listening to a song on like Instagram, for example, and you didn't know what it was. Speaker L: Well, now you can circle to search that audio track, which is super helpful. Speaker A: New assistant that's triggered when you hold the power button and it looks like this. Speaker A: Now you can actually see it says Ask Gemini in the box. Speaker A: But it's not actually pure Gemini. Speaker A: It's more of a hybrid of Google, Gemini and Bixby.

7:25 Speaker A: So they're decently useful features, some of them clever, some of them work offline without an Internet connection, some of them power users will love. Speaker A: But it's obviously hard to use it as a reason to upgrade to this phone if you hold a decently new phone that already has some of these features coming. Speaker A: The new One UI 7 that I've been using in beta on my S24 Ultra for a few weeks, which is this whole, you know, software overhaul and aesthetic coat of paint for Samsung's phones, I think that makes a bigger difference than any of the hardware stuff that they're changing about S25.

7:55 Speaker L: But Samsung says that with the new Snapdragon 8 Elite chip inside and the One UI 7 software update, battery life on this phone should be better or at least more efficient throughout the day. Speaker E: And the integration of One UI 7 and Galaxy AI is where the S25 Ultra starts to differentiate itself. Speaker E: We're seeing some features like the Hybrid Gemini and Bixby Assistant, cross app actions and on device AI capabilities that aim to simplify everyday tasks and offer a more intuitive user experience.

8:22 Speaker E: Overall. Speaker J: While the S25 Slim is the thinnest among the new models, it won't claim the title of the slimmest Samsung phone ever, that distinction still belongs to the Galaxy A8 from 2015. Speaker G: And when you consider the OnePlus 13 has a 6000 milliamp hour battery. Speaker G: The new Oppo and Honor phones, and basically every other Android phone out there has something in the sort of mid 5,000s up to 6,000 milliamp hour range.

8:48 Speaker G: They've all got significantly bigger with dual cell batteries and silicon carbon designs and much faster charging. Speaker G: Still 5,000 still topping out 45 watts charging. Speaker B: So I think it's pretty fair to say that with last year's phones, Samsung came in and they set the benchmark for smartphone AI, the AI SU on this phone. Speaker B: While of course still very early days, it stayed ahead of everything else released in 2024. Speaker M: The iPhone has a 6.9-inch display as well. Speaker M: The maximum peak brightness outdoors is 2000 nits.

9:17 Speaker M: The resolution is 2868 by 1320. Speaker M: Now, they're both beautiful, large displays, but the S25 Ultra does have some additional benefits. Speaker M: All right, so when it comes to deeper customization, the S25 Ultra takes the cake for sure. Speaker M: When it comes to more basic customization, the iPhone is also very capable. Speaker M: We can conclude that the S25 is the better smartphone with more features.

9:45 Speaker E: While the S25 Ultra brings significant improvements, particularly in AI and software, it faces tough competition, especially in areas like battery capacity. Speaker K: Pricing, at least in the US Remains the same as last year. Speaker D: The thing is, the only number I agree with AS Fair is the 799 on the base Galaxy S25 Galaxy AI. Speaker B: Is only going to be free till the end of 2025, and so the implication is that they will then start charging a subscription.

10:11 Speaker B: And considering how soon that's coming, I'm pretty shocked that we still don't know what we will be charged for and how much it's going to cost. Speaker B: It could be $3 a month or. Speaker J: It could be 20. Speaker E: Pricing remains consistent with the previous generation. Speaker E: However, the looming question of subscription fees for Galaxy AI features after 20 adds a layer of complexity to the value proposition. Speaker A: The S25 line is absolute, textbook spec bump.

10:37 Speaker A: Zero risk for Samsung, and because of that, you could argue probably zero risk for the target demographic too. Speaker E: So after going through all the expert reviews, what's the verdict? Speaker E: The Galaxy S25 Ultra brings iterative improvements, focusing on the refined design and a powerful new chip, and strong emphasis on AI, while the camera hardware remains largely unchanged except for the upgraded Ultra wide lens. Speaker E: The software enhancements, particularly in AI and the new Pro Visual engine promise to elevate the photography and overall user experience.

11:08 Speaker E: Battery life sees a noticeable improvement thanks to the more efficient processor. Speaker E: However, the removal of Bluetooth from S Pen and the lack of significant upgrades in charging speeds might disappoint some. Speaker E: That's it for the ultimate roundup review of the Galaxy S 1025 Ultra. Speaker E: Find the full videos below and subscribe for more re reviews where we watch old reviews so you don't have to.